Lady Jocelyn, who looked rather like an old ivory miniature, was sitting on the sofa, and going up to her Tony bent over and kissed her affectionately. Then he shook hands with both his cousins.
"I have been hearing the most wonderful things about you, Tony," said Lady Jocelyn. "If I didn't dislike veal so much I should certainly have killed the fatted calf for lunch. Is it really true that you are going to become the member for—for—where is it, Laura?"
"Balham North," remarked Laura firmly.
She was a tall fair-haired lady, with thin lips, a masterful nose, and a pair of relentless blue eyes.
"I believe it's quite true, Aunt Fanny," returned Tony. "In fact I understand it has all been arranged except for the formality of consulting the natives."
"How splendid," said Lady Jocelyn. "And who are the natives? I always thought Balham was still unexplored."
Tony shook his head. "Oh, no," he said. "Henry has been right into the interior. He can even speak the language—can't you, Henry?"
"There is nothing to laugh at about Balham," said Henry a little stiffly. "It is one of the best residential suburbs in London."
"And extremely well educated politically," put in Laura in her clear incisive voice. "I have been looking into the matter, and I find that our various temperance and purity leagues have no less than seven branches there, and that the reports from all of them are distinctly encouraging. On the whole I regard it as one of the must hopeful constituencies in London."
Lady Jocelyn looked a little puzzled. "What do they hope for?" she inquired.